Worst washer ever!
Written: Aug 02 '04 (Updated Apr 07 '06)
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Pros: None. The most craptacular washer we have ever owned. It does nothing correctly, everything poorly.
Cons: Dingy whites, streaks, stains, bleach spots, poor support, expensive, poor design.
The Bottom Line: Avoid this washer like the plague. You'd be better off going down to the river and beating your clothes with a stone to clean them. And they'll probably smell better.
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| tech2's Full Review: Whirlpool Calypso GVW9959K Top Load Washer |
This is the worst washer ever. We purchased this washer 2 years ago after listening to the hype: Uses less water and electricity, is gentler on clothes due to the revolutionary new agitator design, etc. Well this washer has been nothing short of a nightmare. Our clothes are being ruined, one-by-one, due to bleach spots, oily residue, stains and other unidentifiable dirt.
Every load we run is an adventure. Which item of clothing will be ruined this time? We have put normally soiled white clothing (with no visible dirt or stains) into this washer only to have these items come out dirtier than before washing. Dark, oily stains and streaks which do not come out after repeated washings. Clothing ruined.
I had a tan colored shirt come out of the washer with a bleach-like discoloration, permanently ruined. Neither my wife or I had used bleach at all since the previous weekend. My wife has a navy blue sweatshirt with a bleach stain the size of a quarter on it. Ruined. We have a set of bath towels all of which have bleach stains. Ruined.
I can not say this strongly enough: DO NOT BUY THIS WASHER! DO NOT LISTEN TO THE GLOWING REVIEWS HERE! This washer is a piece of junk. Search the web for "Calypso problems" and read for yourself. There is a class action lawsuit pending regarding the poor performance of this washer, and the failure of Whirlpool and Sears (Whirlpool Calypso, re-badged as Kenmore) to admit and fix the problem.
Update:
Some of the folks that read my review have asked me about the function of the washer. Well, I'll post the following update to address that point, even though, in my opinion, it doesn't matter how many wash cycles it has, since none of them do much more than ruin our clothing. Also note that Sears has agreed to give us a $700 credit toward the purchase of a new washing machine, since our Calypso has been serviced 5 times in the past year. Additionally, the main reason for my writing of this review is to warn people of the unacceptable level of performance by this machine, not the level of functionality.
Now the update:
Since using this washer we have not noticed a decrease in our water bill, but it is just my wife and I using the machine, maybe 5 loads a week. A family with a higher volume of laundry might notice a difference.
We have been using Tide He detergent, as recommended and that has been a cost savings due to the small amount of detergent used. Usually about a quarter of a cap-full.
The washer has a very large capacity due to the small "nutator" (center bump, where the agitator would normally be on standard top-loading washers). You can easily put 5-7 pairs of blue jeans, for example, in one load.
The washer has many cycles, and many options. For example it has a Normal, Jeans/Colors, Delicate, Bulky Items, Whitest Whites (I can't type that without laughing, considering all of our whites are now a dingy gray color) among others. It has an express wash setting which can be adjusted for different wash times and water temps. You can change the water temps for any of the preset cycles and adjust the wash time. You can also set customized wash cycles. Honestly, if the thing worked properly and actually cleaned our clothes it is very nice and easy to use. You sort your stuff, load and add detergent, push a button to select the appropriate cycle and push start. But that's a moot point, isn't it?
One more negative with the machine is the time it takes to do a load of laundry. The worst is the "Whitest Whites" cycle, at nearly one hour. It is probably due to a pre-soak/pre-wash being added to this cycle. Most other cycles are somewhat shorter, but still much longer than our old agitator machine.
Once again, IF this machine performed as advertised, and cleaned clothing as well as a standard washer while saving money on water, electricity, and detergent, it would be WONDERFUL. However, that is not the case and I cannot recommend that anyone purchase this machine.
Another update:
I got a claim form in the mail today (4-7-06) for the Class Action suit. Apparently the suit has been settled and the forms must be completed in order to receive any compensation. I do not qualify since I received a replacement washer of a different model (which my wife and I are thrilled with). If anyone is still unsatisfied with their washer, you may want to look into the settlement.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 950
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Epinions.com ID:
tech2
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Reviews written: 1
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